Why a Trademark Search should conduct in Pakistan Before Filing

Before filing your trademark in Pakistan it is important that you evaluate possible obstacles that may arise during registration process. The trademark search identifies list of similar trademarks (graphic/phonetic) found in the official Pakistan Trademark Database that may conflict with yours, but also give you an opinion about registration possibilities. This trademark search report is […]

Before filing your trademark in Pakistan it is important that you evaluate possible obstacles that may arise during registration process. The trademark search identifies list of similar trademarks (graphic/phonetic) found in the official Pakistan Trademark Database that may conflict with yours, but also give you an opinion about registration possibilities. This trademark search report is optional but highly recommended

The most important reason to do a trademark search is to avoid liability from trademark infringement lawsuits. The second most important reason is to identify potential prior users, so you will not have to incur the time and expense associated with changing a name you have invested time and money in at a later date. Third most important reason comes into play if you are planning on registering a mark with a trademark office. If the mark you have attempted to register is the same, or “confusingly similar” to another company’s registered trademark for identical or similar goods and/or services, the application will be denied and the registration fees are non-refundable.

Before submitting an application for registering your trademark, you should ensure that a proper trademark search has been carried out. This is to make sure that the trademark you intend to use, or a similar one, is not already registered by another company for identical or similar products. It is advisable to conduct a trademark search not only in your own country but also, as far as is possible, in potential export countries, in order to avoid problems of infringement at a later stage.

A trademark search may be conducted before Trademark Office and/or through a commercially operated trademark database, or you may hire the services of a trademark agent. Whatever the manner you choose. Please bear in mind that any such trademark search is only preliminary. It may be difficult to ensure that your trademark of choice is not ‘confusingly similar’ to existing validly registered trademarks. This is why the guidance of an experienced trademark attorney and/or agent, who is familiar with the practice of the trademark office and court decisions, may be extremely helpful.

We strongly recommend to conduct search before applying for Trademark Registration in Pakistan.

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IP4all Weekly Bulletin

The new EU trade mark Regulation enters into force on March 23rd. As a result, the Office for Harmonization in the Internal Market (OHIM) will change its name to the European Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO).

The amending Regulation also revises the fees payable to the Office, including an overall reduction in their amounts, particularly in the case of trade mark renewal fees. On 23.3. 2016, the Office’s online application forms and fee calculator will be automatically updated to reflect the new system.

From its base in Alicante, Spain, OHIM has processed more than 1.3 million Community trade mark applications in 23 EU languages, from nearly every country and region in the world, since 1996.

The Amending Regulation was published on 24 December 2015 and is part of the EU trade mark reform legislative package that also includes the replacement of the existing EU Trade Mark Directive (Directive 2008/95/EC of the European Parliament and the Council).

OHIM is the EU’s largest decentralised agency. It is entirely self-financed, receiving no funding from the EU Budget. As well as managing the Community trade mark and the registered Community design (RCD), it works in collaboration with the EU national and regional IP offices to build a stronger IP system across the EU for the benefit of users.